Controlling-lever for motor-carriages.



No. 650,609. Patented May 29; i900.'

' C. B. (ITIS.

QUNTRULLING LEVER FOB MOTOR CARRIGES., (Application med Apr. 2, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES ATENT CHARLES R. vOTIS7 OF YONKERS, NEV YORK.

CONTROLLING-LEVER FOR MOTO R-CARRIAG ES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 650,609, dated May 29,1900.

Application filed April 2, 1900. Serial No. 11,141. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom it nmfy/ concern.-

Beit known that I, CHARLES R. OTIs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Yonkers, in the county of Vestchester and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Controlling-Leversfor Motor-Carriages, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of apparatus for propelling vehicleswhich embodies a motor and control device of any suitable character; andInyinvention consists in com bining with the actuating-lever ofthecontrol device a bolt or detent for holding it out of operation,together' with means for reti-acting said bolt or detent by pressureagainst the back of the seat ofthe vehicle, as fully set forthhereinafter and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings,'in which-Figure l is an elevation in section of the seat of a vehicle, showingthe control-lever, bolt, and bolt locking and unlocking devices. Fig. 2is a section on the line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional planillustrating a modification of the devices for controlling the action ofthe detent or bolt.

The body T of the vehicle is of any suitable construction and isprovided with a seat S,

which preferably has side arms s and a back A..

The vehicle is provided with anyy suitable motor-steam, electric,compressedair, or other form-and this motor is under the control ofa'hand-lever H, which preferably eX- tends at one side of the seatupward, so as to to be readily grasped by the hand. As is well known,numerous accidents have occurred from the drivers of motorvehicles beingobliged to leave the same where unauthorized persons could get access tothe operating-levers, and I therefore combine with the operating-lever abolt or detent F, preferably having a beveled or inclined end or faceagainst which the lever is brought when it is drawn backward to closethe valve or other control device, whereby the bolt or detent is forcedinward, and a springt thereafter forces the bolt outward in front of thelever and locks the saine in its retracted position. If the bolt and itsoperating appliances were accessible, they might readily be displaced byany inalicious person desiring to start the machine.- I thereforeprovide means whereby the bolt is held securely in its place, so that itcannot be displaced except by the pressure of the driver against theback of the seat. Various appliances may be employed whereby this resultcan be secured.

As shown in Fig. l, the back of the seatA is movable, being hinged at 3,and a spring 8 tends to throw the back forward against a contact-faceupon one of the arms a. Into a recess in the arm through which extendsthe bolt F also extends the bolt-shifting device, consisting, as shown,of a plate D,havingan inclined face which as the plate is drawn backbears upon a pin 4, projecting from the bolt, and moves the latter backout of the way of the lever I-I. The plate D also has a lip 5, whichwhen the plate is in its forward position is behind the pin 4, so thatthe bolt is held in its projected position and cannot be forced backwardby pressure applied t0 the end of the bolt, which projects in front ofthe lever II. A guard 6 extends along the inner side of the arm s andserves to guard the end of the bolt and also to guide the hand-lever Hin its movement. 'A spring is arranged so as to throw the back A of theseat forward. As shown, this spring Sis arranged within the back of theseat and bears at its lower end upon the head of a bolt K, projectingfrom the arm s, and the plate D is secured to this back, so that whenthe operator takes his position upon the seat and then leans backward hethereby draws back the plate D of the bolt-controlling device,

and thus causes the shifting of the bolt out of the way of the lever. Asthese parts are concealed, any unauthorized person taking a positionupon the seat of the vehicle will naturally lean forward in his effortto force back the bolt F, so that the latter will remain securely lockedin place.

Where it is not desirable to move back the entire back of the seat, thecontrol device may be provided with an arm which extends into the backand which is moved by the pressure of the operator in leaning backward.This construction is shown in Fig. 3, where instead ofthe plate D thereis one arm D' of` a lever, which bears upon a lug of the bolt, the otherarm D2 extending into the cushion of the seat in such position that itcan be moved backward by the pressure of the op- ICO erator as he leansagainst the back of the seat. In such case a block 18 is between the lugof the bolt F and the side of the opening in the arm and is connected bya rod 7 with the arm D2, so that when the latter is forced backward theblock 18 will be first moved away from back of the bolt F, which maythen be retracted by the contact and swinging of the arm D'.

It is desirable to arrange the lever so that the throttle-valve orothercontroldevice may be fully opened or closed by a movement of thelever in front of the bolt F, so that when it is desired to lock thelever it is carried back beyond the position necessary to arrest themovement of the carriage. The bolt therefore does .not interfere with orobstruct in any way the normal operations of the lelver and only comesinto action when the lever is drawn beyond the point necessary to closethe valve or other control device, which as ordinarily constructed canhave a slight additional movement after being closed not affecting theoperations of the machine.

Without limiting myself to the precise arrangement and construction ofparts shown, I claim as my invention- A l. The combination with the seatand operating-lever of a motor-vehicle, of a detent arranged to engagethe lever, and means for retracting the detent by the pressure of thebody of the operator against the back of the seat, substantially as setforth.

2. The combination'with the seat and operating-lever of a motor-vehicle,of a detent arranged to engage the lever when the latter is moved beyondthe extent required to close the valve, and means for retracting thedetent by the pressure of the body of the operator against the back ofthe seat, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with the seat and operating-lever of a motor-vehicle,of a bolt or detent for locking the lever, a movable back, andconnections between the latter and the detent for withdrawing the detenton the application of pressure to the back, substantially as set forth.

4. VThe combination of the seat and operating-lever of a motor-vehicle,a movable back to said seat, a detent for engaging the lever, andconnections between the detent and back arranged to withdraw the detenton the backward movement of the back, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of the seat and operating-lever of a motor-vehicle, amovable back to said seat, a spring for throwing the back forward, adetent for engaging the lever, and connections between the detent andback arranged to withdraw the detent on the backward movement of theback, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of the seat and operating-lever of a motor-vehicle, amovable back to said seat, a detent for engaging the lever, a spring forthrowing the detent into a locking position, and connections between thedetent and back arranged to withdraw the detent on the backward movementof the back, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with the seat and operating-lever of a motor-vehicle,of a bolt with a beveled end arranged to be pushed in by contact withthe lever, a spring throwing the bolt into locking position, and a leverconnected to move said bolt and having one arm within and arranged to bemoved by pressure upon the back of the seat-back, substantially as setforth. Y

8. The combination'with the seat and operating-lever of a motor-vehicle,of adetent for holding the lever in its retracted position to close thevalve, and a lever concealed in the back of the seat and connected toshift the detent on pressure against the back of the seat, substantiallyas set forth.

9. The combination with the seat and operating-lever of a motor-vehicle,of a detent for holding the lever in its retracted position to close thevalve, a lever concealed in the back of the seat and connected to shiftthe detent on pressure against the back of the seat, and means forlocking the detent in its forward position connected to be shifted bypressure against the back of the seat, substantially as set forth. n

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresenceV of two subscribing witnesses.

CHAS. R. OTIS.

Witnesses:

MARY S. ALEXANDER, JOHN W. ALEXANDER.

